With 12.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons, LeBron James found Austin Reaves for a corner 3-pointer that boosted L.A.’s lead to five and ensured a seven-point win.
AUSTIN REAVES IN THE CLUTCH!!!!! pic.twitter.com/I25RzwMTFB
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) December 12, 2022
Afterward, Reaves referenced a common criticism James has faced for many years.
Austin Reaves on getting the ball from LeBron for the final shot: "Bron's been criticized his whole career for making the right basketball play late in games instead of forcing a shot. … You know when you play with him, you know he's gonna make the right basketball play."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) December 12, 2022
James’ shot was on against the Pistons, as he went 14-of-24 from the field. But on that possession, he wasn’t able to get a great shot.
He is gradually approaching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. Surpassing him would be an immense honor for a player who has often prioritized passing the ball over scoring.
James isn’t the most natural scorer in the history of the game, and in crunch time, he oftentimes gives up the ball instead of looking to force the issue and take a shot or draw a foul and shoot free throws. It has opened him up to some occasional criticism from fans and observers who would rather see him play more like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, both of whom were shoot-first players.
But, the four-time MVP’s desire to drop dimes has served him well, as he recently surpassed Magic Johnson for sixth place on the all-time career assists list.
Congratulations to one of the best ever to lace them up, LeBron James, for passing me to become 6th all-time on the NBA’s career assists list!! The affect you’ve had on basketball will last for generations to come!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) December 3, 2022
James’ average of 26.2 points per game this season also isn’t too shabby for a pass-first player.
He has always thrived when he has been surrounded by multiple 3-point snipers, but the Lakers have a lack of such players these days. One exception seems to be Reaves, who has greatly improved that aspect of his game in his second NBA season.
The undrafted wing is shooting 38.6 percent from beyond the arc so far this season, and he went 3-for-5 from distance in L.A.’s win over Detroit on Sunday. He has become a key role player who contributes in multiple ways to the team.
